1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manually operated hand trucks, carts, dollies and the like, and particularly to a modular dolly having various repositionable panels and wheels to provide for the loading of large, heavy and/or bulky articles thereon and the transport of such articles over soft, rough and/or uneven terrain. The dolly is also adapted for use as a ramp and with a stair-climbing hand truck.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innumerable dollies, carts, hand trucks, and the like have been developed in the past for various general and specialized purposes. Such devices are generally used for the carriage and transport of relatively large, bulky, and/or heavy articles, e.g., large appliances, console-size office machines such as copiers and the like, etc. Most such devices are relatively simple in their construction and configuration and accordingly have various limitations relating to their use, e.g., lifting large and/or heavy appliances, carrying such appliances over rough and uneven terrain, etc.
Such limitations are readily apparent when attempting to transport a large console-size office machine (copier, printer, document shredder, etc.) to and from its site in an office or the like. The need to lift or move the machine onto and from the dolly is apparent, and is quite strenuous when using a conventional dolly, hand truck or the like. Moving the appliance or machine onto and from a truck (van, pickup, etc.) is also often quite a project with conventional moving equipment. Once the dolly or cart and its appliance are resting on the surface, it is generally necessary to move the loaded dolly across various surfaces that are not compatible with the relatively small diameter wheels generally installed on such dollies, e.g., pavement gutters, expanses of relatively soft grass or gravel, doorway thresholds, etc. Even when each of the above problems has been resolved, it is often necessary to negotiate one or more flights of stairs when delivering or removing such equipment.
Thus, a modular dolly solving the aforementioned problems is desired.